Bending the rules
by FluffyI
Summary: Senator Madeline Pierce knows life and Oversight demand you follow certain rules. Because the show asked for something like this with that Madeline's hairstyle problem in Wrath, really.


There are hundred members in US Senate, but if a tied vote ever happens, vice-president is there to break it. There are six members in Oversight, and all of them avoid mentioning that they should probably think what to do if the similar problem arises. Once upon a time it was all thought out, now they act as if Thomas never existed.

He had it all, the power, the connections, the knowledge of the penitentiary system that made creation of the Division recruiting system possible. And he had ideas that made him look like Carla's long lost brother.

Tomorrow would be his sixty fifth birthday. The day before yesterday was the fourteenth anniversary of his death. The permanent reminder, that death was the only way to break free from the rules of their lives.

"Is it really necessary to drag Sean into this?" Madeline knows there is no way she can refuse to obey group's decisions, but this is her son they are talking about. She'll be damned, if she won't at least try.

"Unless you know someone else we can trust explicitly." There is a challenge in Edward's glare. Madeline thinks involving Sean might have actually been his idea of payback for her victory concerning Alexandra Udinov's fate.

"We do need someone to make sure Division behaves as promised. We trusted Percy, and look where it got us." Robert tries to act as a voice of reason, but is failing miserably. It's too late for that kind of arguments anyway.

Besides, it's not that Madeline doesn't agree with what the others five say. But none of them really know the strange and fragile relationship she has with her son. Madeline can't even begin to guess, what happens when she exposes it to this secret part of her life. It's too much of a risk.

"You are outvoted five to one, Madeline." As if she needed Edward's reminder. The last time one of them tried to disobey the democracy system their group had, Madeline was pretty much the one to establish how those situations had to be handled. It was Thomas' fourteenth death anniversary the day before yesterday. "I'm looking forward to meeting your son. Tomorrow."

This is insanity. And this is war. And yet this is also an order Madeline has no option but to follow.

Sean will be in Washington DC by tomorrow afternoon, angry but willing to help. And in a few weeks Edward will put a gun to his head, because there will be five votes in favour of him committing suicide to solve the current problem. Those are the rules they live by.

* * *

After Edward and Jonathan deaths there is once again an even number of Oversight members. The only one that concerns Madeline though is Bruce. They have a twisted relationship, where she is not sure whether he is the closest thing to the father figure she has or one of her greatest enemies. And lately Bruce started suggesting her attitude might be the reason for their constant failures in capturing Nikita. Apparently, she let Sean and Amanda get away with too many things, not taking enough decisive actions. Well, she was taking one now.

"Never thought, I'd see you here, Senator." Percy sounds amused and little bit less surprised than Madeline anticipated. She herself is still not really sure what she is doing down here. If anyone saw her, if Amanda found out, or even worse if Sean knew she was here, it'd all be over.

"I came to offer you a deal. The rest of the Oversight in exchange for my and Sean's safety." Words feel alien, and yet it is not the first deal with the devil she made in her life. Sometimes it all comes down to the question of who deceives whom first.

"And what makes you think, I would need your help?" Percy doesn't ask why she thinks he is capable of killing three of the most powerful people in the world from inside his cell, Madeline notes. That's exactly why Oversight put him in charge of Division.

"Because you are still a prisoner and we are alive." For how long, now that remains to be seen. Percy has a lot of competition in that area. Madeline is pretty sure even Amanda has all of the Oversight on her kill-list, right after Nikita.

Percy doesn't ask why she didn't go to Amanda instead of him, which means he probably knew all along, what she is getting to see only now. Amanda is unstable and untrustworthy. Even more than Percy was, though once Madeline wouldn't think it possible. But she at least knew Percy's endgame, with Amanda she can only guess. Though if her reaction to the destruction of Black Box was anything to go by, it doesn't involve Oversight in charge and well.

"True. Though I might kill you as well." Percy smiles, turning his head slightly, looking at Roan, who waits patiently near the elevator. Madeline has no illusions, that one word is enough for her to never make it out of here alive. It's not like Percy is telling her something she doesn't already know.

"And lose the change to blackmail the United States Senator? I don't think so." She doesn't say anything about Sean. They both know her son's safety is a deal breaker. Anything happens to him and the possibility of prison sentence is not going to stop her from destroying the people responsible. "Do we have a deal or did I waste my time for nothing?"

They have a deal, and Percy will keep his word. When his people will storm the building, just as Nikita is blackmailing her with Sean's life, Madeline will almost wish Percy refused. She will desperately hope hearing what is going on in Gates House will be enough to convince Nikita, that there is nothing she can do. It will, and it will end even better that she planned.

* * *

Percy is not exactly on her side, so when he calls and strongly advices her to get out of town for the time being, Madeline suspects an ulterior motive. Then again, no one is exactly on her side, and things have been pretty intense lately. There is no more Oversight, but rules of the game still stand. She has bought herself a little time with Nikita and her crew, managing to fix things with Sean and neutralize Amanda in the process. But sooner rather than later someone was going to wonder when she intended to keep her part of the deal.

Looking out of the car window Madeline wonders whether she missed something in Percy's message. It's been a week and his threat has yet to come true. She has half a mind to call him, absentmindedly twirling a phone in her hands.

That's when explosion comes from across the street. Madeline has to admit, that's unexpected. She always thought more along the lines of a sniper or a street shooting. But that works too. The only thing that matters, is that Sean is alive. Madeline tries not to think about others caught in the explosion. It's probably even for the best. The less people know it wasn't her in that car, the bigger chances of them actually keeping their mouths shut.

Madeline orders driver to go, getting away from the scene unnoticed. It's strange to leave her whole life behind. There is only one suitcase in the trunk of the car filled with the mementos of her past. She doesn't even bother with clothes, shoes and what not. Seven figure sum in the bank account that is hers, but not in her name, makes sure that won't be a problem.

"I can't go with you." Sean slips into the car next to her a few hours later, not bothering with hellos. Not that Madeline didn't consider this possibility, she just preferred to discard it as unlikely. Turns out, she was wrong.

"Because of Alex?" The girl is nothing but trouble, but Madeline knows better than to discuss it with Sean. There is only so much of him getting up and leaving she can take. Besides, now is probably the worst time to pick up a fight.

"Her too. I have to make sure it all ends here and now. And... I have a life, mother." Sean has enough sense to actually look guilty and uncomfortable saying that. Madeline remembers how reluctant she was to bring him into this. Now he has a chance to leave and yet decides to stay. The irony. Even death doesn't solve all the problems.

"I will try to stay in touch. Now, go." Madeline ushers Sean out of the car, before she can change her mind. Alex and Nikita better take good care of him or Division won't be the biggest of their problems.

She will get a new name and a nice house in the southern hemisphere. She will also keep in touch with Sean, as promised, though she will never see him, her daughters or any of her grandchildren again. The guy named Owen will keep her informed of what's really going on in the world, because old habits die hard. All in all it will be a good life, even if once again Madeline won't be the one setting the rules.


End file.
